Statewide constituencies and staggered six-year terms give senators a broader electoral base and more insulation from immediate opinion than House members. Equal state representation also means population differences do not affect the number of senators, a constitutional design that cannot be equated with one-person, one-vote districting.

Senate procedure gives individual members leverage through extended debate, holds, and objections to unanimous consent, but none is an absolute personal veto. Leaders can use other procedures, and cloture can limit debate when the required coalition exists. Rules and political cost determine whether leverage succeeds.

The chamber's Article II functions are specific. Senators consent to many nominations and to treaties by the constitutionally required vote; they do not nominate officers or negotiate treaties for the president. In impeachment, the Senate tries the charges approved by the House rather than initiating them.

Video lesson: The Bicameral Congress: Crash Course Government and Politics #2